Mechanism for winding endless films



April 26, 1938. D. VON MlHALY 2,115,503

MECHANISM FOR WINDING ENDLESS FILMS Filed March 21, 1935 /n ventor: Dnea vyz M'Ihajy Att orngys Patented Apr.- 26, 1938 UNITED STATES MECHANISM FOR WINDING ENDLESS FILMS Dnes von Mihaly, Bcrlin- -Wilmersdort, Germany assignor of six-tenths to the firm Julius Pintsc Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin,

Germany Application March 21, 1935, Serial No. 12,323 In Germany March 21, 1934 3 Claims. (01. ss 1s.n'

This invention relates to mechanism for winding endless films.

There has been developed an apparatus for recording sound on an endless band of photographic film, and for reproducing sound from a record on such film, in which the sound record is in the form of a plurality of separate parallel tracks on the film which tracks are successively traversed by the recording light beam, or by the reproducer, while the film is repeatedly moved past the light beam. The endless band of film is here drawn off a coil, passed in a loop through the light beam and is then again wound up on the coil.

The known apparatus has the disadvantage that the film gets frequently broken because it is led in the loop over a great number of guide rollers under repeated strong twistings, so that it has to be driven by a considerable force in order to overcome the high friction caused by the guide rollers.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above described type in which the endless band of film is guided in the loop between the inside and the outside of the coil substantially without any twisting and by a correspondingly reduced driving force.

Another object of the invention is to guide the film in the loop in a plane slightly inclined relatively to the plane of the coil.

In the accompanying drawing the invention is illustrated by way of example.

Referring to the drawing, the housing I contains the motor for driving the film as well as the meansfor shifting the recording or reproducing light beam in a direction transversely of the film. In the base plate 2 forming the cover of the housing I is at one end a circular hole 3 in which the plate 5 carrying the film coil 4 is mounted in such manner that its plane is inclined with respect to the plane of the base plate 2. The coil is supported by freely rotatable rollers 6 radially arranged on the plate 5; and also freely rotatable guide rollers I are provided for holding the coil in position on the plate 5.

0n the other end of the base plate 2 a drum 8 is mounted which is provided with a vertical slit I? the width of which is about 0,02 mm. and the length of which is equal to the useful width of the film. Before the drum 8 there isa mask l 9, the opening 20 of said mask being exactly before the slit l2. The diameter of this opening 20 is substantially equal to the width of any of the sound tracks on the film. The mask I9 is fastened to a frame 22 which is vertically shiftable along guides provided within the drum 8. This frame supports on its lower end within the housing I a light source, and the light beam falls through the opening 23 in the base plate upon an inclined mirror 26 being secured to the mask 5 IS. The mirror projects the light beam through the opening 20, the sound track on the film, and the slit I 2 onto a photoelectric cell l3 arranged within the drum 8, if the apparatus is employed for reproduction. If employed for recording, then 10 naturally the mask I9 has to be replaced by another one having a slit-shaped opening of suitable dimensions, and in this case the photoelectric cell is superfluous. In both cases the frame 22 and with it the light beam are moved by suit- 15 able means arranged within the housing I in such manner, transversely of the film, that the sounds be recorded by it on the film in several parallel sound tracks or that such sound tracks be reproduced by the light beam successively while the film is repeatedly moved past the light beam. Between the film coil 4 and the drum 8 a sprocket I4 is provided which is mounted upon the axis of the motor being arranged within the housing I, and is driven by this motor. On both sides of said sprocket l4 spring supported pressing rolls I! are provided. The endless band of film 9 is withdrawn from the inside of the coil 4 over the roller 1' by the one side of the sprocket I4, is then led round the drum 8 to the other 30 side of the sprocket I 4 and past the guide roller l8, and it winds up on the outside of the coil 4. The inclination of the plate 5 and of the coil 4 with respect to the base plate is such that the film can be led from the roller 1' across the 5 winding of the coil in a loop past the two sides of the sprocket l4 and round the drum 8 back to the outside of the coil in a plane being substantially parallel to the plane of the base plate 2, while the film is kept in its substantially vertical 40 position in all parts of the loop.

The invention is naturally applicable to any apparatus for recording images on or reproducing from an endless band of film, i. e., also for picture films or combined picture and sound 45 films, as may be used for advertising purposes.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a mechanism for winding endless films, especially sound films, in combination, a supportmg base, means for rotatably supporting an endless coil of film on the base, means for feeding the film to the coil on the support and means for withdrawing the film from the coil, said feeding and withdrawing means comprising a single roller for moving said film, and means outside said coil for guiding the film to and from the coil, the axes of said roller and said guide means being disposed substantially parallel and in the sameplane so that the film is fed and withdrawn in said plane, said coil supporting means having its axis of rotation slightly inclined to the perpendicular of said plane to permit the film to leave the coil on the support in a straight line.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which said means for feeding the film to the coil and said means for withdrawing the film from the coil consist of the opposite sides of a single sprocket which engage points of the film longitudinally spaced by a distance greater than the length of the peripheral portion of the sprocket.

between the two points thereof which engage the film.

3. A- mechanism according to claim 1 further includirk means positioned within said coil and l DENES voN MIHALY. 

